Teddy
by Squid7000
Summary: Harry remembers the first time he held Teddy Lupin and the hope the boy inspired. My first Fanfic! OLD


**Teddy**

A/N: This is my first fanfic and I am kind of new to this. So don't go _too_ hard on me! Anyway, this is just a little one-shot where Harry reminisces about the first time he ever held Teddy. I hope you like it!!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. *Tear*

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Harry Potter asked his godson solemnly.

Teddy Lupin bit his lip. He had been asking himself that question a lot lately. He looked up and saw, through the glass door, the stunning blonde talking to her cousin, not knowing just how her life was about to change. The answer rose to his lips immediately.

"I've never been surer of anything in my life."

Harry nodded as if he had been expecting that. The kind smile Teddy knew so well played on his godfather's mouth.

"You'll make the right choice, Teddy," Harry said. "You always do. Now go get her, son."

Teddy's eyes lit up at being addressed as "son." He turned to exit, but then hesitated. After a moment's decision, hr wheeled around and embraced his godfather hugely.

"Thanks, Harry," he whispered. "For everything."

Harry patted Teddy on the back and swallowed against the lump in his throat. He remembered when Teddy had first been handed to him, as a baby. He remembered it so well . . .

_Harry Potter walked down to the great hall after catching a few hours of well deserved sleep. When he entered, every head present turned to him. Then, in the utter silence, he headed to where the Weasley's were sitting._

_Ron and Hermione had gotten there before him and their eyes were puffy from tears. Ginny smiled a watery smile at him and he hated the look of her sadness. Mrs. Weasley sobbed into he husband's chest. Percy was dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief whilst Charlie held his head in his hands. Bill clutched Fleur to him, his chin resting on her skull. George, however, was sitting slightly separated from his family, staring off into space._

"_Harry Potter," a voice suddenly called, disturbing the silence._

_Harry turned around and saw Andromeda Tonks striding toward him, shoulders back, head held high, and a bundle of blankets in her arms._

"_Mrs. Tonks," Harry choked out and he felt a pang in his chest. "I'm so sorry. So very, very ---"_

"_Don't apologize for something you had no control over, boy," Andromeda said roughly, though there was tenderness and sadness in her eyes. "Just take him."_

_Harry tried to brush off the feeling that he _could_ have prevented Tonks' death and the death of some many other loved ones, and looked at the bundle of blankets being addressed as "him." He sighed and took the blankets from Andromeda._

_Harry gasped as he stared into the tiny face of a baby. The baby was sleeping calmly and sweetly and had a tuft of hair atop his head which was a lazy, light pink._

"_Teddy," Harry whispered, clutching the baby closer to him. "Teddy Remus Lupin."_

_Harry's eyes began to sting and, before he could stop himself, big, fat tears had fallen onto the baby's face._

_Little Teddy stirred and his hair changed to a more alert red. He blinked a few times before opening his big, brown eyes and looking straight into his godfather's green ones. Harry gasped once again as he gazed into Remus Lupin's eyes._

_And then, as he looked at the peaceful, unafraid eyes of this little, baby boy, eyes that knew nothing of inequalities or prejudice, Harry suddenly remembered. He remembered why they had fought this war in the first place, why so many innocent lives had been lost. So children of the next generation, children like Teddy, could grow up in a world where they were free to be themselves, a world where hope and love existed surely as the sun, guiding them through dark times. And as Harry looked upon Teddy Lupin, he knew the war had been worth it._

_Harry looked up at Andromeda and said, "He looks just like Tonks . . . like Nymphadora . . . 'cept he has Remus' eyes."_

_Andromeda's eyes grew watery as she smiled and nodded. Harry smiled through his tears, too._

"_Mrs. Weasley," Harry suddenly called, "do you want to take a look at the newest addition to our family?"_

_There was a horrible sobbing sound, as Mrs. Weasley pulled away from her husband, surprised._

"_Oh ---" she stammered, "oh --- y-yes, I suppose." She took a deep breath and walked shakily towards Harry, leaning against Arthur for support._

_Harry smiled assuringly at her, before tenderly handing over Teddy. _

_Mrs. Weasley was a completely different person with Teddy, calm, loving, and confident. After all, taking care of children was what she did best._

"_Oh, goodness," she muttered, rocking back and forth so Teddy's rapidly changing hair color slowed and his eyelids drooped. "He _does_ have Remus' eyes."_

_Harry felt someone grip his hand and looked up to see Hermione next to him. She smiled at him before moving on to coo over Teddy with Mrs. Weasley. Ron walked over and gripped his friend's elbow before joining his parents and girlfriend. Percy patted Harry on the back before moving on and Charlie gripped his shoulder. Bill and Fleur smiled at him. Ginny did not even look his way while passing, perhaps so he would not see how hurt she really was. Harry did not think he could handle that himself._

_Harry turned around and saw George still staring off into the distance. He went to sit beside him._

"_Go see Teddy," Harry said because he was not quite sure just how to say he was sorry._

_George raised his eyes to meet Harry's slowly. There was pain, grief, sorrow, and just plain hopelessness in them. _

"_I can't," he whispered. "Fr --- _He _was my twin, my other half, a part of me. When he died a part of me died, too. I just can't go on, Harry."_

_Harry gripped George's shoulder. "Yes you can, George. I know you can. I didn't think I was going to be able to either . . . but when I looked into Teddy's eyes, I remembered what we were fighting for. I remembered _why_ we lost so many lives. And . . . I think it was for a good reason. And I _know_ Fred thought it was for a good reason."_

_George looked over to his family and, though there was obvious sadness in his eyes, Harry thought he saw a bit of longing, too._

"_Plus," Harry added, leaning closer, "how do you think Fred would feel if he knew you were sitting around moping about him, instead of teaching the newest member of the family the evils of prefects?"_

_Harry thought he saw the corner of George's mouth turn up._

"_He'd be pretty darn mad at me," George admitted. _

"_You bet he would." Harry smiled. "Now, go see Teddy, George. Maybe you'll see a reason to keep living like I did."_

_George nodded and stood up. He began to walk, but stopped._

"_Thank you, Harry," he said simply._

_Harry nodded and watched the redhead join his family. A bit of life slowly made its way back into George's eyes._

_Harry smiled and leaned back in his seat as person after person walked up to hold Teddy. He was amazed, and yet completely unsurprised, at how just one person . . . one baby . . . could give so many people a reason to go on._

Harry Potter smiled at the memory twenty-three years later.

"You're going to accomplish great things in life, Ted," he said. "You already have."

Teddy nodded and let go. His hair changed from a short, bright blue, to a longish, jet black, a style he knew Victoire loved on him.

"Wish me luck," he said nervously.

"You won't need it," Harry replied, "but good luck anyway."

Harry watched as Teddy, his first child, walked over to Victoire and asked to borrow her from Lily. The couple then disappeared into the woods.

Harry sighed, turned, and jumped a little when he saw his wife standing right in front of him. Ginny smiled and placed a hand on his cheek.

"He's a great man," she said. "You did a great job."

Harry smiled and put a hand over hers, holding it to his cheek. "_We_ did a great job. You, and me, and Andromeda. And everyone else who helped raise him. He really is a great man. Tonks and Remus would have been proud."

Ginny nodded and a small smile graced her features. "I bet they are," she agreed. "In fact, I _know_ they are."

**The end**

A/N So what did you think? Reviews are _extremely_ appreciated!

Thanks!

_. _


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